June 28, 2005

Van Morrison "Magic Time", new Van Morrison album out now (on Geffen Records) and tops the Charts.

Van Morrison, Ireland's legendary vocalist and songwriter is back in action with his new CD "Magic Time". The self-produced set was released on Geffen Records May 17th and debuted this week on the Billboard Top 200 chart at No 25. It also debuted at No 3 in the U.K., Van's highest U.K. debut of his career.

Elsewhere around the world Van Morrison "Magic Time" topped the charts; No 4 in Denmark, No 5 in Spain, No 6 in Norway, No 6 in Sweden,. No 10 in Italy, No 10 in Holland, No 12 in Germany, and No 15 in Australia. Magic Time also debuted at No 5 on the Soundscan Digital Album chart for this week.
Magic Time is Van Morrison's first new album of originals since 2003's grammy-nominated "What's Wrong With This Picture?" and is the 38th solo release of his illustrious career. The CD's 2005 release also marks the 40th anniversary of Van's first hits with the band THEM.

With such songs as "Stranded," "Celtic New Year," "Gypsy In My Soul" and the title track, Van Morrison has created one of his most powerful albums in years. Other tracks on the new album include "Keep Mediocrity At Bay," "Evening Train," "Just Like Greta," "The Lion This Time," "They Sold Me Out," "Carry On Regardless" as well as interpretations of three jazz classics, "'This Love Of Mine," "I'm Confessin," and "'Lonely And Blue."

Van Morrison will be playing a string of dates in the U.S. in June before he heads back overseas for dates in England, including the Glastonbury Festival on June 26th.

A 1993 inductee in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and a 2003 inductee into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Van Morrison has been one of the most consistently admired musicians of the last 40 years. As a member of the 60's Irish band Them, he created indelible hits like "Gloria" and "Here Comes the Night."
Early solo albums like "Astral Weeks," "Tupelo Honey," "Saint Dominic's Preview" and the immortal "Moondance" yielded hit after hit - among them "Wild Night," "Domino" and "Blue Money" - cementing Morrison's standing as a peerless innovator. Latter projects with the Chieftains brought Van back to his Irish roots, but he has always been a universally beloved artist.
His last CD "What's Wrong with this Picture?" earned a Grammy Award nomination in the 'Best Contemporary Blues Album' category.

June 26, 2005

Carrie Underwood, American Idol 4 winner "Inside Your Heaven" (19 Recordings/Arista Records) has debuted at #1 on Billboard's Hot 100. The single is the best selling song in the nation and also debuts at #1 on three additional Billboard charts, including the Pop 100, the Singles Sales chart and the Country Singles sales charts. With first week sales of nearly 170,000, the song now ranks as the best selling song of 2005 year to date.

Cartie Underwood also breaks Billboard chart history as the first country music artist ever to debut at #1 on the Hot 100. Carrie Underwood's "Inside Your Heaven" also becomes the first song from a country artist to go to #1 on the Hot 100 since Lonestar's "Amazed" did so in 2000.

"My dreams continue to come true," says Carrie Underwood. "Thanks to the fans for voting me as their IDOL and for wanting to hear - and have - my music!"

Carrie Underwood is currently busy listening to songs for her debut country album, due out this Fall, and also rehearsing for the American Idol tour which will launch July 12 in Sunrise, Florida.

Carrie Underwood, 22 years old from Checotah, OK, was crowned the American Idol winner at the two-hour finale held at the Kodak Theater, in Los Angeles, on May 25th averaging over 30 million viewers. American Idol has been nominated for eight Emmy Awards and is created and executive produced by Simon Fuller, founder of 19 Entertainment. American Idol is the #1 show of the current television season.

Kem "Album II" and Kem "I Can't Stop Loving You" at the top of the Charts.

Kem, Motown Records' critically acclaimed singer/songwriter, is holding down the #1 spot on the Urban AC and R&B Adult Monitor charts for an incredible seventh consecutive week, the longest streak in both formats for any male artist this year. Both the first single, "I Can't Stop Loving You," and Kem's Top 5 debuting sophomore CD, Kem "Album II" have been receiving rave reviews.

Mainstream media has taken notice of the multi-talented artist -- People Magazine praises Kem for his: "Silky, supple tenor and an R&B/jazz fusion that is as smooth as a bald pate, Kem is a ... soul man."
USA Today seconds the notion, saying Kem: "Serves up contemporary soul, sleek and subdued ... fluid sensual singing that's a welcome alternative to the flashy wannabes ... " The charismatic performer is also in demand to wow both the studio and viewing TV audiences. He recently appeared on the popular ABC morning show The View and gears up for more national television appearances, including Jimmy Kimmel Live on July 14, and The CBS Early Show on July 30.

Kem's Find Your Way Tour kicked off in St. Louis, MO on June 8th. The opening artists for the 20-city trek are none other than American Idol winner Fantasia and Rashaan Patterson.

Although the Detroit native rose to national attention with his poignant love songs, his personal story is one of victory and triumph: Kem was once homeless, struggling to support himself and his family by waiting tables and singing Top 40 cover songs at weddings. Determined to forge his own destiny, Kem independently financed and released his first album before signing with Motown Records in 2002.

His self-produced debut disc, Kemistry, charted the way, achieving gold status and delivering the sleeper hit "Love Calls," which USA Today pegged early on as a "Motown classic."

The enterprising Kem hasn't forgotten his old wedding singing days. The singer/songwriter, in cooperation with Universal Motown, has crafted an online contest where a lucky winning couple will get the opportunity to have KEM perform live and in person at their wedding. Prospective contestants can go log onto http://www.kemwedding.com/ to sign up. The contest will run through August, with winners being selected by September 12.

June 15, 2005

Harrah's Las Vegas Casino & Hotel will open Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill on June 29, 2005. Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill features a bar, lounge, restaurant, live music venue and retail store, all of which offer the finest in American spirits, entertainment and merchandise. The new venue features a "down home" feel that will satisfy country-music lovers of all types.

Giant guitar pick-lined walls, guitar-shaped bar, a stage featuring live music nightly, a dance floor and a private dining room are only some of the unique offerings at Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill.

"The common theme here is great food, attentive service and an enjoyable atmosphere," said David Hoenemeyer, assistant general manager of Harrah's Las Vegas. "This isn't just for country music fans. It is for anyone who wants a fun dining and entertainment experience."

The Harrah's food and beverage team went on a special mission, scouring restaurants in Norman, Oklahoma and Oklahoma City, dining in all of Keith's favorites, in order to assemble a true southern home-style menu. Some of Keith's favorite recipes include a fried bologna sandwich made with thick cut bologna seared with onions and American cheese, served on garlic grilled Texas toast; a pulled-pork sandwich made with shredded slow-roasted pork shoulder tossed in Toby's barbeque sauce, topped with crispy coleslaw and served on a soft potato roll; and a tasty side of classic "freedom fries."

For something sweeter, there is sweet potato pecan pie with bourbon ice cream, warm chocolate bread pudding or blackberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream. All dishes will be served up by a stunning, all-female wait staff clad in sexy country attire.

Whether or not guests have "a singing voice," they will find themselves chiming in to such Keith hits as "Whisky Girl" and "Beer for My Horses" while catching his music videos on one of 20 state-of-the-art plasma television screens, which will broadcast major sporting events and other exciting programs throughout the year.

In addition, for those that feel the need to two-step, live country and rock bands, hand-picked by Keith, will perform nightly from 9 p.m. - 2 a.m.

Toby Keith fans will delight in the vast array of Keith merchandise, including t-shirts, cups, guitars, memorabilia, albums and DVDs. The retail store is open from 10 a.m. - 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

The 262-seat, 17,000-square-foot restaurant, bar and retail area is located at the interior promenade situated directly adjacent to the Harrah's Las Vegas monorail concourse and is open from 11:30 a.m. - 2 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11:30 a.m. - 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

Toby Keith is currently one of the hottest performers in music. The singer/songwriter and acclaimed entertainer finished last year as Billboard's 2004 Top Country Artist, Top Male Country Artist, Top Country Album Artist and Top Hot Country Singles & Tracks Artist. His release the previous year, "Shock'N Y'all," was also one of the top selling country offerings of the year, and his November release of "Greatest Hits 2" is nearing triple platinum and continues to be one of the genre's top sellers. Keith remains one of country's top touring acts and a highly respected musician and songwriter.

Keith, the first country artist to perform an AOL Music Live concert with a record-setting 850,000 downloads in the first 24 hours, released this month his new studio album, "Honkytonk University." The first single, "Honkytonk U," is an autobiographical song that harkens back to days that Keith spent working in his grandmother's nightclub. His current single, "Good As I Once Was," is a song that comes from a saying that his dad used.

Keith performed the cut on the "Tonight Show with Jay Leno" on June 8 as well as on the "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" on June 9. He will also perform on an upcoming episode of the "CBS Early Show." His national headlining tour "Toby Keith's Big Throwdown II" began on June 10 in Charlotte, N.C.

June 13, 2005

Performer and songwriter Mariah Carey - who will bring a film noir edge to the MTV Movie Awards tonight - continues to reign at the top of the charts as her still-new Island Def Jam album, "The Education Of Mimi", which is now certified RIAA double-platinum, returns to the No 1 Soundscan spot on the Billboard 200 albums chart, and "We Belong Together" sets a new all-time record with BDS as the song moves into its 3rd week at No 1 on the Hot 100.

With Tuesday's best-ever 1-day Hot 100 audience of 31.2 million listeners for "We Belong Together," the song closes at 192.3 million this week (up 23.5 million from last week) - setting a new all-time record surpassing the previous 1-week records held by Mario (189.5 million, for "Let Me Love You") and Usher before that (172.8 million, for "Yeah!"). "We Belong Together" - already named the biggest single in the history of both Mariah Carey and the Island Def Jam Music Group - stays at No 1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Song Chart for the 3rd week in a row (as No 1 Greatest Gainer/Airplay), No 1 on the Hot 100 Airplay Chart for the 4th week in a row (also as No 1 Greatest Gainer/Airplay), and No 1 on the Urban and Rhythmic Top 40 charts.

Mariah Carey secured her place as the No 1 most successful female artist of all time when "We Belong Together" became her 16th song to top the Billboard Hot 100. This positions Mariah as the only active artist in contention to surpass the Beatles (with 20 No 1's) and Elvis Presley (18 No 1's) in the modern era. (With 64 total weeks of No 1 hits since 1990, Mariah also ranks 2nd only to Elvis, with 80 weeks.)

"Mariah proves once again that the word-of-mouth power of her fan base is unsurpassed in the pop, R&B and hip-hop markets," said Antonio "L.A." Reid, Chairman, Island Def Jam Music Group. "'We Belong Together' is an enduring standard that reaffirms her position as a great songwriter and singer, with the unique ability to merge across all musical genres and cultural boundaries.
The consistent week-to-week sales of MIMI over the past two months indicate a classic that will stand the test of time. As other acts come and go, on and off the charts in the competitive months to come, we are confident that MIMI will not only be crowned one of the top albums of 2005, but will keep the momentum to become one of the most successful albums of Mariah's career."

"We Belong Together," written by Mariah Carey and co-produced by her with Jermaine Dupri, also stays No 1 at Yahoo! Music on both its Music Video Plays chart and LAUNCHCast Plays chart. At AOL, the track stays at No 1 on the Streaming Audio chart for an 8th consecutive week, and No 1 overall at AOL Radio. The videos for "We Belong Together" and "It's Like That" stay in rotation on VH1, MTV and BET - both clips were shot contiguously by famed Hollywood director Brett Ratner (Rush Hour, Red Dragon, After the Sunset).

Mariah Carey will surprise tens of millions of fans around the world when she performs "We Belong Together" at the star-studded annual MTV Movie Awards, airing tonight at 8:30 p.m./ET. On June 28th, Mariah will perform at the 5th annual BET Awards gala, where she is nominated as Best Female R&B Artist.

After appearances (since April) on Good Morning America, The Late Show with David Letterman, Live with Regis & Kelly, The View, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Mariah's two month-long television schedule brought her to The Oprah Winfrey Show on May 24th, where she performed "We Belong Together" for the finale show of Oprah's "Wildest Dreams" season. Mariah Carey was then one of Oprah's special invited guests for her gala Legends Ball weekend.

Mariah Carey is an award-winning superstar with cumulative total sales of her albums, singles and long-form videos in excess of 75-times platinum in the U.S. alone and 150 million worldwide, making her the top-selling female artist in history. With a record 16 No 1 singles - more than any female artist of the past century - two Grammy Awards, eight American Music Awards, Billboard magazine's Artist of the Decade Award, and the World Music Award as World's Best Selling Female Artist of the Millennium - Mariah Carey's ongoing career remains an unparalleled success story in the history of contemporary popular music.

June 06, 2005

Motown Record's critically-acclaimed singer/songwriter Kem continues his rampage up the charts with his sophomore CD, Kem "Album II," which debuted last week at #5 on the Pop Albums chart and #1 on the R&B Albums chart. The vastly talented newcomer is now certified gold after only two weeks of release. His unprecedented consecutive streak at urban radio -- # 1 at Urban AC for a fourth incredible week -- makes him one of the highest charting radio stars of the year and there are no signs of Kem slowing down. Fueled by rave reviews of the album pouring in, Kem is truly showing that he is an R&B force to be reckoned with.

The Baltimore Sun hails praise on Kem and the new album, declaring "KEM's sound -- his hushed, refined vocal approach, his polished vocals -- is instant vintage." USA Today echoes those sentiments with further acclaim, calling the album "sleek" and "subdued."

Kem "Album II" was self-produced by the multi-talented artist, and is the highly-anticipated follow-up to Kem's 2004 certified gold debut, Kemistry, which delivered the sleeper hit, "Love Calls." The single stayed in the Top 20 of radio airplay for more than a year and USA Today hailed his first album as a "Motown classic."

Although the Detroit native rose to national attention with his poignant love songs, his personal story is one of victory and triumph: Kem was once homeless, struggling to support himself and his family by waiting tables and singing Top 40 cover songs for weddings. Once on his feet, he independently financed and released his first album before signing with Motown Records in 2002. The story of Kem inspires audiences in the same moving way his sultry music does. Kem represents a shift in the R&B paradigm and fans are taking to it at an astonishingly fast pace.

Kem will be performing songs from both Kem "Album II" and Kemistry when he headlines a 20-city "Find Your Way Tour" featuring American Idol winner Fantasia as the opening act. The "Find Your Way Tour" kicks off in St. Louis, MO on June 8. In addition to the tour dates, fans can catch Kem's performances on The Tom Joyner Fantastic Voyage Cruise, May 29 - June 5, and on the main stage at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans on July 3rd.

Fans can also catch KEM performing his current song on The View on June 6th.

May 05, 2005

Bruce Springsteen new album is number one in 10 countries, Bruce Springsteen is number one.

Bruce Springsteen's "Devils & Dust" will enter Billboard's Top 200 albums chart at the top spot next week. The new album will also debut at number one in Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Italy, Germany, The Netherlands, The United Kingdom, and Ireland.

"Devils & Dust" has earned outstanding reviews from critics and fans alike. Rolling Stone wrote, ""Devils & Dust" sparkles in the right places like stars in a clear Plains sky," while People Magazine exclaimed, "Springsteen has hit another bull's-eye." Meanwhile, Entertainment Weekly stated, "When it comes to combining a literary quality with a colloquial voice, nobody does it better." The LA Times declared, "The CD is filled with the compassion and craft that have made Springsteen such an invaluable figure in rock."

In today's Wall Street Journal, Jim Fusilli writes, "Devils & Dust is a vivid and perceptive work fashioned by a master craftsman, one whose greatness is best revealed in whispers and searing asides." See below for the full review.

May 01, 2005

Rob Thomas "... Something To Be" new album at the Top of The Charts, Rob Thomas new album.

Melisma/Atlantic recording artist Rob Thomas makes chart history this week as his first solo album, "...Something To Be," debuts at No 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart. This marks the first time that a male artist from a rock or pop group has debuted at No 1 with their first solo album since Billboard introduced the chart 50 years ago.

"... Something To Be" also ranks as the No 1 digital album of the week and the No 1 album on iTunes in both the U.S. and Canada.

"... Something To Be" makes further chart history as the first album released exclusively as a DualDisc to hit No 1 on the charts. The first release by a superstar artist to be available exclusively in the new DualDisc format, "... Something To Be" contains the full album on the CD side and more than 20 minutes of exclusive video material on the DVD side, which also includes all 12 songs in 5.1 multichannel surround sound.

Rob Thomas is currently celebrating the release of "... Something To Be" with a sold-out, cross-country solo concert tour, including a stop tonight at New York City's Irving Plaza.

In addition to his tour dates, Thomas has an extensive slate of activities underway to herald the release of "... Something To Be". One highlight was a rare invitation to perform on two consecutive nights last week on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."

The chart-topping premiere of "... Something To Be" was driven by the success of its first single, "Lonely No More," which ranks at No 2 with-a-bullet on the Hot AC/Adult Top 40 charts, and has hit No 1 in Canada. The acclaimed companion video clip is No 1 this week on VH1's "Top Twenty Countdown."

Fantasia's First Major U.S. Tour to Begin on June 8th with Motown's Kem; RIAA Platinum "Free Yourself" Album Scans More Than 1.3 Million. Urban Radio supporting 3 tracks - #1 "Truth Is," "Baby Mama," and brand new third single, #1 Most-Added "Free Yourself," produced and co-written by Missy Elliott.

Recent TV appearances include co-hosting Soul Train Awards in March and performances on American Idol and Tonight Show with Jay Leno this month; Good Morning America live summer concert series set for July 22nd.

J/19 recording artist Fantasia - the American Idol 3 champion whose RIAA platinum debut album, "Free Yourself", unleashed its title-tune second single "Free Yourself" as last week's #1 Most-Added song at Urban Mainstream radio (with 45 huge adds) - is about to embark on her first major U.S. tour since the album's release in November. As the special guest of Motown artist Kem, Fantasia will open 3 weeks of dates on June 8th at the Pageant Theatre in St. Louis, wrapping up in Atlanta's Fox Theatre on July 1st. (Please see tour dates on next page.)

"Free Yourself," produced and co-written by Missy Elliott (one of three tracks she contributed to the album), was also this week's #2 Most Added at the Urban Adult format, where it picked up 107 adds and jumped 5 points to #19-bullet. The song got a strong boost when Fantasia performed it last week on NBC's Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

"Free Yourself" is the follow-up to "Truth Is" (the first single from the album) which shows no signs of letting go at radio after more than 5 months out. The Soulshock & Karlin-produced hit "Truth Is" has held the #1 spot on the Urban Adult chart for 11 consecutive weeks. It also has the most one-week airplay totals ever on an adult record in Billboard and Billboard Monitor history with 1558 spins in the issues dated April 15. The video (directed by Diane Martel) stays in Power rotation at BET and in medium rotation on VH1's Soul Digital Channel.

American Idol audiences are still reeling from Fantasia Barrino's triumphant guest return to the show on April 6th, when she performed "I Believe" and "Truth Is" to a standing ovation. (On July 22nd, Fantasia will perform "Free Yourself" and two other songs live, on ABC's Good Morning America summer concert series.) Meanwhile, Urban Mainstream radio is also playing a third track, "Baby Mama" (co-written and produced by Harold Lilly). As a result of all this exposure, "Free Yourself" rose 5 points to #25 bullet on the Billboard 200 albums chart and jumped 2 points to #7-bullet on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

With Nielsen Soundscan reporting sales of more than 1.3 million copies of "Free Yourself", 2005 has been a resoundingly successful year for Fantasia - "the first American Idol to count as a discovery" (San Francisco Chronicle) and "the American Idol champ most likely to become a genuine pop idol" (People). After performing "Truth Is" on BET's Celebration Of Gospel special and on Soul Train both in February, she co-hosted the 19th annual Soul Train Awards gala in March, and performed a medley of "Baby Mama" and "Free Yourself" on the big night. Later that month, Fantasia was named Outstanding New Artist at the 36th annual NAACP Image Awards.

The High Point, North Carolina native and single mother Fantasia Barrino had her name carved into chart record books as the first artist in the history of Billboard's Hot 100 to debut at #1 with her first single, "I Believe" - which went on to become the best selling single of 2004, according to Nielsen Soundscan charts.

April 24, 2005

Kem "Album II", Kem "I Can't Stop Loving You" Top 10 in the Charts For More Than 5 Weeks in a Row.

Kem, Motown Records' critically acclaimed singer/songwriter has got another hit with the first single "I Can't Stop Loving You," from his forthcoming sophomore album Kem "Album II". In its first official week at radio, "I Can't Stop Loving You," was the No 1 "most added" song at the Urban AC radio format, and is currently No 2 on the Urban AC chart.

The heartfelt song has remained in the Top 10 for more than five weeks in a row, and is one of the "most requested" songs at radio commanding a listening audience of more than 13 million fans.
Kem "Album II" in stores May 17th, is self-produced by the multi-talented singer and is the highly-anticipated follow-up to KEM's, gold-certified album Kemistry. The album spawned the sleeper smash hit "Love Calls," which stayed in the Top 20 on the radio airplay chart for more than a year. USA Today hailed his debut album as a "Motown classic," while Vibe called it "haunting" and "romantic." Kem will be performing songs from both albums when he headlines a 20-city "Find Your Way Tour" featuring American Idol winner Fantasia and singer Rashaan Patterson as opening acts. The tour kicks off in St. Louis, Missouri on June 8th.

Although the Detroit native rose to national attention with his poignant love songs, his personal story is one of victory and triumph: Kem was once homeless, struggling to support himself and his family by waiting tables and singing Top 40 cover songs for weddings. Once he got on his feet, he independently financed and released his first album before signing with Motown Records in 2002.

In addition to the tour dates, fans can catch Kem's performances on The Tom Joyner Fantastic Voyage Cruise May 29 - June 5 and at the Essence Music Festival (main stage) in New Orleans on July 3rd.